Pirates vs. Padres Pick MLB – August 20th

And with that under on Monday, we bring the winning streak of 7 straight winners into this week. Not looking to stop now, so let’s bring it on over into Tuesday and win our 9th straight MLB pick. Just like a hot jump shooter in basketball, when you can’t miss, you can’t miss. Francisco Liriano turned in one of the most dominant performances from a Pirates’ pitcher since 2004, striking out 13 batters for the most since then. Andrew Cashner held his own, but unfortunately received a lousy play in the outfield, where the ball just skipped under the outfielders’ glove off a single. The ball rolled to the wall, and Alvarez was able to score all the way from home plate off a charged single. The error allowed 2 runs to score, giving the Pirates all they needed to win.

We turn to a familiar scene for our pick for Tuesday night. I haven’t provided back-to-back picks in a single series this year because I like a little variety. However, I really like what I see in San Diego again tonight.

Free MLB Pick:

Pittsburgh Pirates -125 at San Diego Padres +105 (Total: 6.5)

A.J. Burnett (5-8, 3.18 ERA) vs. Tyson Ross (3-5, 2.62 ERA)

I’m not going to get into the Pirates and Padres too much with this writeup, because I already did with my pick last night. So, I’m going to get right into the pitching matchup with A.J. Burnett vs. Tyson Ross. This game features one wily veteran against another pitcher that hopes to turn into as successful a career as A.J. Burnett has had in Major League Baseball.

The former Oakland Athletic, Tyson Ross seen minimal success in Oakland for his first three years as a major league pitcher. But pitching at this level takes some adjusting to get used to the quality of bats. Ross has turned it around this season and hopes to emulate 2013 throughout his career. He brings a lackluster 3-5 record to Tuesday night, but when you’re pitching behind the Padres’ offense it is understandable. The ERA is by far a better indicator of pitcher success, and that is something Ross definitely has on his side. In 79 innings pitched this season, Ross has churned out an outstanding ERA of 2.62. Thanks to his ability to keep the ball down, only 5 home runs allowed, Ross has enjoyed terrific success. It certainly always helps being a pitcher at Petco, one of the friendliest parks for pitchers. Speaking of Petco, Ross is great there as well, posting a 1.97 ERA in 32 innings pitched.

Burnett is nearing the tail end of his career, but is still performing at a very high level. In fact, Burnett is having his best season in the majors. His 3.18 ERA from this season is his lowest in his career, which dates back to 1999 where he got his start with the Marlins. Burnett was off in his last two starts, giving up 5 runs each to the Cardinals and Rockies on the road. The Padres don’t have a Cardinals or Rockies offense, nor is either of those ballparks like Petco.

I like Burnett to get back on track tonight, minimizing the below average Padres’ offense just like Liriano did last night. Meanwhile, the Pirates should find it difficult to find runs against a pitcher that just doesn’t surrender anything up at home. We’re going to go with the same play as last night and look for some more cash with the under in this series.

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